Customer Reviews

North of Nowhere: An Alex McKnight Novel (Mysteries & Horror)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Steve Hamilton writes with great assurance--lean prose with exceptional characterizations and superior plotting. He has yet to disappoint. This time out, the temperamental McKnight winds up in a world of trouble simply by acting as the last-minute sixth player in a poker game at the home of the feisty (think bantam rooster) and eccentric Win Vargas. When a holdup occurs mid-game and Vargas's safe is burgled and some of his treasured artifacts lifted, Vargas comes to the bizarre conclusion that McKnight is the mastermind behind the plot.

With the help of his former partner, Leon Prudell (the lovably nerdy straight arrow who has to be one of the most unlikely private investigators ever created) McKnight ultimately unravels the the how of the scheme--but not before his friend/mentor Jackie winds up in the hands of a pair of lethal Canadian brothers. With a climax that is literally cold and wet and stomach-churningly tense, this is a can't-put-down mystery.

Then, with what used to be called "a sting in the tail" Hamilton adds a painful little twist at the end that is completely unexpected.
Highly recommended.

Having read all 3 of Hamilton's previous novels, I was anxious to see what he had in store for us this time around. I have to say that I was disappointed. The story starts out with us learning that Alex McKnight was having a mid-life crisis. By the time I was halfway through it, I was wondering if Steve Hamilton might not be having one too.

The story just didn't draw me in the way the others did. It seemed rushed, and the characters were not nearly as well developed as in his previous works. While the ending was a kind of a surprise, I was still glad this story was over.

If you're looking for a good read, check out Hamilton's first 3 novels...all are fantastic. If you've already read them, and enjoyed them as much as I did, then I'd suggest you save yourself [the money] on this one and wait for the paperback.

Turning forty-nine this summer in Paradise, Michigan, Alex McKnight spends a lot time reflecting on his life so far but finds it wanting. He turns reclusive until his pal, Glasgow Inn owner Jackie Connery, bullies Alex to join a poker game hosted by wealthy developer Win Vargas. During the game, Win claims that one of the regulars, not playing that night, is having an affair with his wife.

Not long afterward, three hoods break and enter the Vargas home. They make Win go upstairs with one of them while the other two point guns at the heads of the remaining five card players. Instead of robbing Win of his wife's jewels and the men of their wallets, they destroy his marine and Indian artifact collection before leaving. A stunned Win ponders how they knew the location of his secret safe. Unable to say no, Alex heeds the call of the wife of his former private investigative partner Leon Prudell to keep her husband safe while he investigates the robbery for Win.

The latest McKnight mystery is a robust entry because the audience sees another side of the hero, struggling with his age and his lack of success in life. The story line starts off focusing on Alex' internal skirmish, but quickly picks up speed when he gets involved with Win via the card game and through Leon. Alex is at his best and the support cast augments the isolated feeling of going NORTH OF NOWHERE that shows why Steve Hamilton is an award-winning author.

Harriet Klausner

Alex McKnight returns in his fourth mystery set in the northern Michigan town of Paradise. Facing his 49th birthday, Alex is going through somewhat of a midlife crisis. It takes being held up at gunpoint to spur this reluctant private detective back into the private detecting business. Along the way Alex learns a thing or two about friendship and loyalty.
As always, Steve Hamilton has an ear for dialogue. Although the fourth book in the series, his characters are still as fresh and exciting as ever. Alternating scenes of humor and suspense, Hamilton never slows down, even managing to throw in a surprise or two.
If you haven't read Hamilton, what are you waiting for? Move over Robert B. Parker, you've got a fresh voice taking your place.

Steve Hamilton has written another great mystery book. One of the reasons I like his books is their setting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, close to home. The next reason is they are good! He always has a surprise. I like his characters, I like his style.
With his motive for mischief in this book, Hamilton brings in a subject dear to the hearts of many Northern Michigan residents...keep the developers OUT. There are someplaces that should always remain "North of Nowhere." It's a fast and entertaining way to spend some time with the fireplace.
I highly recommend the entire Alex McKnight series.

I couldn't put this one down. First off, North of Nowhere
is extremely well written. The description of the
weather and terrain in Michigan's Upper Penninsula is
so well done that it brought the area to life for me. Second,
it is an excellent story. Hamilton keeps us in suspense
even while introducing several very clever plot twist.
Third, the character development of Alex as well as
recurring characters Jackie (Alex's bartender friend)
and Leon Prudell takes this book into somewhat new
territory. It is done very successfully. Finally,
Alex is just a real unique character with real human
frailties as well as strengths. This makes the book
different from some others in the genre.

As much as I've enjoyed all of Hamilton's books,
this may be the best yet.

Ah, summer in Paradise...that's Paradise, Michigan, on the upper peninsula. This is the very best time of the year on Lake Superior, yet a suddenly introspective Alex McKnight is holed up in his cabin reading detective novels and taking a good look at his life. As his 49th birthday approaches, he takes stock of all his failures...his marriage, an unimpressive baseball career that never went past the minors, a stint with the Detroit police department that ended abruptly with a bullet that's still lodged in his chest and a dead partner, and his very short attempt at private detecting. Not a lot here to be proud of; not a lot of reasons to get up in the morning and join the human race. But an unexpected invitation to a poker game from friend Jackie Connery, proprietor of his favorite watering hole, the Glasgow Inn, changes all that. What starts out as a simple high stakes card game in an expensive home on the lake, turns ugly when three masked men break in, hold the players at gunpoint, and rob the owner's hidden safe. This night sets off a chain reaction of murder, greed, kidnapping, secrets, lies, and revenge, and as Alex is pushed out of his funk and back into action, he finds the true meaning of loyalty and friendship..... Steve Hamilton is back with the fourth installment of his marvelous Alex McKnight novels, and this is a series that just gets better with each new book. His well paced, intricate story line is entertaining and intriguing, and filled with subtle twists, and vivid, riveting scenes. His terrific cast of well defined, original characters come alive on the page, and inhabit a spectacular north woods setting full of atmosphere. But it's Mr Hamilton's crisp, intelligent writing that really makes this novel sparkle, and his witty and irreverent dialogue is unrivaled and stands alone in a class by itself. If you're new to Alex McKnight and Paradise, start at the beginning with A Cold Day In Paradise, and read them all. If you're already a fan, North Of Nowhere is another suspenseful and compelling mystery, you don't want to miss.

Alex McNight, the former Detroit cop who lives a reclusive life in Paradise, Michingan, is back in "North of Nowhere," by Steve Hamilton. McNight has kept to himself a great deal lately. His good friend, Jackie Connery, proprietor of the Glasgow Inn, decides that Alex needs to get out more. Jackie invites Alex to play poker at the home of Win Vargas, a very wealthy man with a great many secrets. The evening ends disastrously, when Vargas's home is invaded by masked men who rob Vargas and vandalize his prized collection of artifacts.

Subsequently, several of Alex's friends who sat in on the poker game are arrested for being involved in the home invasion and Alex decides to do a little investigating of his own. He crosses paths with his old partner, private investigator Leon Purdell, who now works for Vargas. He also has words with his old nemesis, Police Chief Roy Maven, who hates Alex and would welcome any opportunity to arrest him.

In the course of his investigation, Alex gets beaten and shot at, but he is determined to get to the bottom of the strange goings-on around him. Who is really behind the robbery of Vargas's home and why are Alex's friends being framed?

Steve Hamilton has a relaxed prose style that is easy to take, and "North of Nowhere" moves along quickly. I have always liked Alex, who is down to earth and businesslike in his approach to life. He is not superhuman or driven, as are so many heroes in mystery-thrillers these days.

Unfortunately, by the time Alex gets to the bottom of who staged the robbery, lives have been lost and friendships have been irrevocably shattered. In "North of Nowhere," Steve Hamilton demonstrates how greed and selfishness often blind people to what truly matters in life. It is a sad lesson that is often learned the hard way.

Hamilton's description of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is, as usual, colorful, and the dialogue is natural and fast moving. Sadly, the mystery in "North of Nowhere" is not particularly compelling and the ending is anti-climactic and a little bit flat. However, "North of Nowhere" does have its moments and it is always pleasant to be in the company of the formidable ex-cop and loyal friend, Alex McNight.

Alex McKnight gets invited to a poker game at a private residence and then armed men break in and rob a safe full of money. The owner of the house thinks Alex did it. Chief of Police Maven thinks Alex's bar-owning friends did it. And Alex, thinking that he's clearing his best friend's name, stubbornly goes through all the suspects until he eventually trips on the real architect of the robbery. I like Alex's tenacity, but this adventure, especially the end, gets too unbelievable and convenient. Still it's a good yarn and enjoyable to read. There's something unsatisfying about Hamilton's endings. Things just don't fall into place nicely. However, it's the character of Alex McKnight that is the real draw for me.

but apparently not wiser. You'd think Alex McKnight learned his lesson about not sticking his nose where it does not fully belong... but no, he likes to revisit the lessons the hard way.

A fourth installment in Alex McKnight series and they keep on getting better. Steve Hamilton provides you with just the right amount of background information to gently lead you into the story - and I will not go into the story details, for obvious reasons.

Funny, fast paced, with some good twists and turns, North of Nowhere is another page turner. Don't skip it.